Food Quality and Safety in Europe

DEVELOPING A SCIENTIFIC SAFETY SHELL

The production of shellfish is an important
economic activity in the European Union with
considerable net value for the economy. The
presence of marine toxins in oysters, mussels and
other shellfish can affect human health and cause
serious financial losses to the aquaculture industry.
Shellfish can take in toxins from polluted water or if
an algal bloom develops in certain weather conditions.
Accurate and fast testing methods for the presence
of biotoxins in shellfish, are therefore important for
Europe's economy and the health of its citizens.

Some test methods do exist but some classes of toxin
are hard to estimate using these available methods.
Moreover, many methods use tests on mice or rats
and it is EU policy to phase out animal testing. A more
systematic approach to develop fast and reliable
methods is being sought in a new three-year Specific
Targeted Research Project, BIOTOX. It includes the main
marine laboratories in Europe, and will be overseen by
a panel of experts.

QUEST FOR BETTER TESTS

The class of lipophilic (lipid soluble) toxins is to assay
accurately using current techniques - some methods
work for some of them, but many remain hard to
quantify, or even to detect. BIOTOX aims to develop
and validate new methods to confirm the presence
of lipophilic toxins in shellfish, using separation
methods based on liquid chromatography and mass
spectrometry (LC-MS), and preferably, alternative,
rapid assays. Some of these methods can already be
used to detect certain shellfish toxins.

Methodologies need to be made more reliable, more
widely applicable and faster, so that large batches of
samples can be tested quickly. Standardised methods
to extract test material from suspect shellfish will be
developed, together with confirmatory analyses that
can cover a range of possible toxins, including those
that have not yet been completely characterised. They
will form the basis of a universal test procedure for
use by the industry and by the control laboratories.
Tests developed will require validation and comparison
against the current procedures that use mouse
samples. A range of certified reference materials will
be produced.

TRAWLING THE SEAFOOD MARKET

BIOTOX is also looking at the problem of knowing
when algal blooms become a hazard. Early warning
tools for detecting the presence of toxins will use
advanced methods based on gene expression. A
functional approach will determine suitable genes that
will bind to microarrays of commercial chips, leading
to a high-capacity, high-speed identification system. A
traceability system for affected shellfish that may be on
their way to market will be developed.

Another line of enquiry is to clean up contaminated
shellfish so that they are fit to eat. The chosen example
is the DSP lipophilic toxin that can infect farmed
mussels. The aim is to purify such shellfish in a few
days, taking into account the effects of temperature
and the food they are given.

The detection and depuration methods that BIOTOX
develops will be incorporated into HACCP (Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point System) for
standardised monitoring of biotoxins in shellfish. The
European Community Reference laboratory and several
national equivalents will ensure that the methods
percolate through to all relevant labs. Publicity will also
ensure that consumers have confidence in the safety
of shellfish.

Taken together, these results will help to ensure that
European food is of consistently high quality and that
the producers of shellfish can deliver a safe product
and make a reasonable profit.

List of Partners

The Netherlands Institute
for Fisheries Research
(The Netherlands)

Marine Institute (Ireland)

RIKILT Institute for Food
Safety (The Netherlands)

The Norwegian School of
Veterinary Science (Norway)

National Veterinary
Institute (Norway)

National University of
Ireland (Ireland)

University of Modena
(Italy)

Food Safety Authority of
Ireland (Ireland)

Scientific Institute of
Public Health (Belgium)

Oyster Creek Seafoods
Limited (Ireland)

Biosense Laboratories AS
(Norway)

Institut Franšais
de Recherche pour
l'Exploitation de la Mer
(France)

Acronym:

BIOTOX

Full title:

Development of costeffective
tools for risk management
and traceability systems for marine
biotoxins in seafood